Insulin resistance and metabolic parameters in type 2 diabetic patients

Background: The importance of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus has been generally accepted. Only very few data about the degree of insulin resistance in a representative group of type 2 diabetic patients are available. The aim of this study was to ascertain the degree of insulin resistance and its relation to metabolic parameters in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: We studied 96 type 2 diabetic patients. The inclusion criteria were type 2 diabetes according to WHO criteria and HbA(1c) between 6.8% and 10.5%. Insulin resistance was estimated in a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. Blood parameters like lipids, insulin, glucose, fatty acids, and leukocytes were also studied. Results: The insulin sensitivity of 71 of the type 2 diabetic patients was markedly lower than that of the controls. Twenty-five diabetic patients had an M(c) value within the range of the controls. The M(c) values, as a measure of insulin resistance, of the diabetic patients were between 0.3 and 5.2 mg/(kg min insulin), whereas the M(c) range of the controls was from 2.6 to 10.8 mg/(kg min insulin). Conclusions: Approximately 75% of the type 2 diabetic patients were insulin-resistant. Hence, type 2 diabetes mellitus was not equivalent to insulin resistance in every case.